Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Me 109) - History and Pictures of German WW2 Fighter Plane Germany's Memorable Fighter of WWII By Stephen Sherman , July 2003. Updated July 6, 2011. Unwanted at its inception, the Bf 109 became the most widely produced, the most respected, and the most varied Luftwaffe fighter. Over 30,000 of the nine major variants of Willy Messerschmitt's versatile aircraft were built. From its introduction in the Spanish Civil War, until the last Bf 109 model retired from the Spanish (!) Air Force in 1967, the 109 served for thirty years. Background From the late 1920's, Dr. Willy Messerchmitt antagonized Erhard Milch, eventually Hitler's Secretary of State for Aviation, and thus Messerchmitt's company, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW), could not get much support from the German government. At one point, the Gestapo even called on Messerchmitt to question him about his contracts with the Romanian government.

In 1933, his luck changed, when the Luftwaffe invited BFW to design a sports plane for an upcoming international air race. Messerschmitt, under tight deadlines, based his new aircraft on the work he had done for the Romanian sports plane. The resulting Bf 108, the forerunner to the 109, flew in February, 1934, with a top speed over 200 MPH. Its performance at the races showed real promise, but due to Milch's influence, the Luftwaffe's request that year for a fighter was given to Focke-Wulf, Arado, and Heinkel, but not to BFW. By 1935, though, Messerchmitt was granted a development contract, something of a gamble. As a development-only contract, it represented a gamble. Milch made it clear that no production contract would follow. Messerchmitt relied on the superior qualities of his design, the Bf 109, to overcome Milch's opposition.

Prototype The prototype Bf 109V-1 was ready in August, 1935, Like its predecessor, the Bf 108, it was a low wing, all metal construction monoplane, with flush rivets, leading edge slats, and retractable landing gear. Its single-seat cockpit had a fully enclosed canopy. While none of the developments were revolutionary in 1935, Messerschmitt first put them all together in the Bf 109. Powered by a 695 HP twelve cylinder Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine, the Bf 109V-1 first flew in September of that year. At first, the Luftwaffe pilots, from Ernst Udet on down, distrusted the aircraft. It seemed frail; its enclosed canopy was disconcerting; it had a very high wing loading; and its narrow track landing gear was prone to failure. (On this last point, their concerns were well founded. Landing gear troubles plagued the 109 its entire career.) But its speed and agility impressed the Luftwaffe skeptics; even Udet came around to support the plane.

Even before the results of the competition were known, Messerschmitt pushed on with the second and third models. The Bf 109V-2 was powered by a 610 HP Junkers Jumo 210A but was otherwise similar to the V-1. The V-3, the third prototype, was the first Bf 109 to be armed, carrying two 7.9mm MG17 machine guns and 1000 rounds of ammunition, as called for in the RLM spec. Otherwise similar to the first two examples, its first flight was delayed until May 1936, due to teething problems with the Jumo 210A engine. Meanwhile, the Arado and Focke-Wulfe entries had foundered on poor performance and mechanical problems, and Heinkel’s He 112 could not match Messerschmitt’s entrant. Reports of the technologically advanced British Spitfire development added to the Bf 109's favor. Throughout the 1936 trials, the BFW fighter looked better and better, prompting the RLM to order ten Bf 109s.

Udet's stunning performance in a Bf 109 at the Rechlin air show confirmed the decision. In front of Generalfeldmarschall Goering and other Luftwaffe brass, Udet intercepted four He 51s in a mock air battle, "destroyed" them, and then turned on a force of bombers and "destroyed" them as well. In November 1936, the Bf 109V-4 flew. It mounted a third machine gun in the nose and otherwise resembled the V-3. With production now guaranteed, BFW finished the prototyping with two more airplanes: the Bf 109V-5 and the Bf 109V-6, both equipped with an improved Jumo 210B engine. With Nazi Germany committed to the Fascist forces in the Spanish Civil War, the Germans rushed these last three pre-production aircraft to Seville in December, 1936. Essentially, the final field-testing of the Bf 109 took place in actual combat, as the German “volunteers” of the Condor Legion immediately began flying missions.

Bf 109B – Bertha The RLM had ordered 30 production aircraft, designated the Bf 109B. Carrying the latest 680 HP Jumo 210D engine, a wooden two-bladed prop, and only two cowling-mounted guns (the engine-mounted gun had caused overheating), the 109B began to be delivered in February 1937. These too were promptly shipped to Spain. At low altitudes, the maneuverable Russian Polikarpov I-15s and I-16s danced around the 109s; the Condor Legion pilots quickly learned to stay at high altitudes. Back in Germany, both production and development of the design moved ahead. To augment BFW’s factories, the Fieseler company began license-production at the end of 1937. An improved, metal, variable pitch propeller, licensed by Hamilton Standard, was used in the later Bertha’s, as the Bf 109B was nicknamed.

700 HP Jumo 210G and 210Ga engines with fuel injection and two stage superchargers, powered the next development prototypes, the Bf 109V-7 and Bf 109V-8, respectively. Significantly, the V-8 carried four 7.9mm machine guns. While still equipped with the relatively light rifle-caliber weapons, at this point the Bf 109 began to resemble the heavily armed fighters of WW2. A V-9 variant carried 20mm cannons in the wings, but they proved unreliable. The Daimler Benz powerhouse engine, the DB 600, powered four later developmental models: the V-10, V-11, V-12, and V-13. The V-13 (equipped with the DB601) set the world speed record in November 1937, at 379.38 MPH. Bf 109C - Clara From March 1938, as soon as the first Claras rolled off the Augsburg assembly lines, they were rushed to Spain.

Capable of 290 MPH at altitude, the Bf 109C overmatched its Soviet adversaries in Spain. The C-1 added a pair of wing-mounted 7.9mm guns, included an FuG 7 radio, and visibly increased the radiator intake. Three more experimental models the C-2, C-3, and C-4 tested other, heavier gun configurations. Bf 109 or Me 109 ? What is right: Bf 109, Bf-109, BF-109, Bf109, Me 109, Me-109, ME 109, or ME109? In 1938, during the production of the C version, Messerschmitt's global reputation has grown to the point where the Air Ministry suggested changing his company's name from Bayerische Flugzeugwerke to Messerschmitt A.G.. Subsequent aircraft would be identified with the "Me" prefix; those already in production, the 109, would retain the "Bf" designator.

Nonetheless, many people began referring to the "Me 109," including the USAAF; contemporary air combat reports are filled with references to the "Me 109." In German usage at the time, "Bf 109" was correct. No dash, lower case "f," not "Me 109," and including a space between "Bf" and "109." But confusion persists to this day. Try a web search on "Messerschmitt Me 109." You'll get almost as many hits as with the proper abbreviation. Bf 109D - Dora Daimler Benz’ state-of-the-art DB 600 series promised to be the ideal engine for the Bf 109. Not only was it powerful, but its fuel injection would not stall out during sharp aerial maneuvers, as carburetor systems could. With other programs, notably the He 111 also demanding the 600 series engines, the Bf 109D, “Dora,” was an interim solution, equipped with the Jumo 210 powerplant.

About 200 Doras were built, with subvariants identified with different armaments: D-1 tried the engine-mounted 20mm cannon with no more success than earlier models. D-2 reverted to four 7.9mm guns (two in the wings, two in the cowling). D-3 substituted 20mm cannon in the wings. The Spanish Civil War While sources vary on the number and type, most agree that 130-140 Messerschmitt Bf 109’s served in Spain: approximately 4 prototypes, 40+ Berthas, 5 Claras, 35 Doras, and 44 Emils. By early 1939, when the 109E’s arrived, the Republican opposition had nearly collapsed; twenty of these models were left behind for Spain’s air force. Read more at The Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Spain Bf 109 pilots like Werner Moelders and Wolfgang Schellmann distinguished themselves in Spain. Moelders is credited with developing the “finger four” formation, which became the standard fighter formation for decades.

Moelders scored 14 kills in Spain, the top German ace of that conflict. Over 200 German pilots flew with the Condor Legion, gaining precious combat experience that would serve them well in WW2. See the full list at Luftwaffe Aces of the Spanish Civil War Bf 109E - Emil Willy Messerschmitt’s promising fighter finally achieved its potential with the Bf 109E variant, powered by the cutting edge DB 601A. The Emil progressed through numerous subvariants. The prototypes Bf 109V-13 through Bf 109V-20 were considered as “E-0” types. The Bf 109E-1, delivered in early 1939, introduced a three-bladed, variable pitch propeller and twin underwing radiator intakes. It was very fast and arguably the best fighter in the world at that time. By later WWII standards, it was still lightly armed, with four rifle caliber machine guns, two in the cowling and two in the wings.

By September 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, the Luftwaffe had almost 1,000 Bf 109’s in service, mostly “E” models. 200 took part in the Polish campaign, a third of them lost, mainly to ground fire. During the ensuing “Phony War” on the Western Front, a hapless Luftwaffe pilot set his 109E down on the wrong side of the lines. The Brits rushed the plane back to Britain for a complete evaluation; the aircraft was startlingly superior to the Hawker Hurricane under all conditions and superior to the Supermarine Spitfire at lower altitudes. Today this aircraft sits on display at the RAF Museum at Herndon. With a top speed of 350 miles per hour at altitude, the Bf 109E-3 took good advantage of the latest Daimler Benz motor, the 1200 horsepower DB 601Aa. It incorporated a stronger canopy and more cockpit armor. It upgraded the E-1’s weaponry by replacing the wing machine guns with MG-FF 20 millimeter cannons.

Interestingly, the E-3 weighed under 6,000 pounds, less than half the weight of an American P-47. (Note: the Bf 109E-2 never reached production.) With an improved, softer recoil mechanism, the MG-FF/M cannon which appeared on the Bf 109E-4 distinguished the E-4 from the earlier E-3. The MG-FF/M could also fire highly effective explosive shells. The “Me 109” outclassed its opponents in the blitzkrieg against France of May 1940. Needing a fighter-bomber, Jagdbomber or Jabo, the Luftwaffe fitted some Emils with bomb racks and they effectively struck Channel shipping and land targets. Jabo modifications to the 109 were denoted with a “/B” suffix, for example, Bf 109E-1/B and Bf 109E-3/B. Battle of Britain For three months, the Bf 109 engaged the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the RAF in a momentous struggle for air superiority over the Great Britain.

The airplane performed as required, but the distances from bases and the need to use the Messerschmitt in a bomber escort role took their toll. Early on the Bf 109 ranged freely while the Me 110's shepherded the bombers, but when the "shepherds" were mauled as badly as their flock by the RAF wolves, the Bf 109's were called on. Downed German pilots who parachuted safely, nonetheless, were lost for the duration as POWs; British pilots who hit the silk promptly returned. By the end of October 1940, the British had lost 1,149 airplanes, mostly fighters. The Luftwaffe lost almost 1,800 aircraft, one third of them Bf 109s. For the first time, Hitler had been checked and a few months later he turned East, with devastating consequences. Later Bf 109E's Several more variations of the Emil followed. The DB 601N delivered 1,200 HP at take-off and permitted a one minute burst of 1,250 HP at 15,000 feet.

The Bf 109E-4/N incorporated the new engine. Two fighter-reconnaissance variants, the 109E-5 and the 109E-6, reduced their armament (and weight) and added a Rb 21/18 camera. A Jabo variant, the E-7, was the E-4/N with a center mounted bomb rack. The Bf 109E-8 and the Bf 109E-9 appeared late in 1940. Intended as a long-range fighter, the E-8 resembled the basic E-1 with a rack added for a drop tank. The E-9, another fighter-reconnaissance variant, incorporated many previous enhancements, notably the DB 601N engine. Both of these were built in small quantities, the last of 4,000 Emils. With the Luftwaffe committed to the North African campaign, "tropicalized" versions of the Bf 109E-4, -5, and -7 were introduced, with the suffix "/Trop." These modifications for desert warfare included filters over the air intakes and a desert survival kit.

Bf 109F - Friedrich Early in 1940, Messerschmitt designed a major improvement to the Bf 109. The "F" model was planned to include structural and aerodynamic changes and a higher performance powerplant, the 1350 horsepower DB 601E. By tucking the radiators more tightly into the wings, the designers reduced drag and improved lift. The cowling was streamlined, the spinner enlarged, the propeller blades widened and shortened, the wingtips rounded, and the tail plane bracing struts removed. The prototype models V-21, V-22, V-23, and V-24 tested early versions of the DB 601E engine, the new wings, and other changes. Armament for the 109F standardized on two cowling mounted 7.9mm machine guns and a 20mm cannon firing through the propeller shaft. The wing guns were eliminated, based on combat reports that the concentrated firepower of the fuselage guns was more effective than the converging bullet streams from the wings. As a bonus, the airplane's handling characteristics improved.

Deliveries of the Bf 109F-1, still powered by the DB 601N due to delays in the 601E, began in November 1940. Shortly the Luftwaffe test units reported losses, following violent vibrations and loss of control. The removal of the tail bracing struts had caused the problem, remedied by fitting reinforcing plates in the tail plane. The Bf 109F-2, introduced in February 1941 differed from the F-1 only in an improved MG 151 15 millimeter cannon. When Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941, the Friedrich was the Luftwaffe's frontline fighter; it had a field day against obsolete Soviet planes like the Polikarpov I-16. Finally in 1942, the DB 601E was installed in the Bf 109F-3 and the Bf 109F-4. While the F-3 was otherwise like the F-2, the F-4 carried a larger caliber MG 151 20mm cannon, self-sealing fuel tanks, and better pilot armor.

The F-4 was the ultimate Friedrich; it weighed 6,880 pounds, made 390 MPH at altitude, with a service ceiling of 39,400 feet. Several subvariants and modifications of the F-4 were built, notably the F-4/R6 which (at the insistence of Adolph Galland , fitted an extra pair of 20mm cannon in underwing gondolas. The plane's handling was adversely affected and they were limited to bomber interceptor roles. Another notable modification was the Bf 109F-4/Trop, which Hans Joachim Marseilles used to achieve most of his 158 victories in North Africa. About 2,200 Friedrichs were built. Bf 109G - Gustav By 1942, the Bf 109 was getting long in the tooth; the Fw 190 would equip the Luftwaffe top fighter squadrons. But there weren't enough Fw 190's, and the Messerschmitt factories were tooled up for Bf 109 production.

As a stopgap, the Gustav was designed around the latest Daimler Benz engine, in this case, the 1450 horsepower DB 605A. It also featured a pressurized cockpit for high altitude flight. The increased power and weight came at a price. The Bf 109, never easy to handle, in the "G" variant, became difficult for experts and hazardous for neophytes. The Bf 109G-1, which first rolled off the lines in March 1942, was fitted with a pressurized cockpit, an engine-mounted 20mm Mauser MG 151 cannon, a pair of cowling-mounted 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns, and a pair of small air scoops just aft of the propeller. These directly cooled the DB605 engine, which was prone to overheating. (Overheating the DB605 caused oil to seep out and over the hot engine block, and catch fire.

If in the air, the pilot had to bail out.) With 24,000 Gustavs produced, the number of variants is truly bewildering, and complicated by Umruest-Bausatze (factory) and Ruestsaetze (field) modification kits. Various suffixes distinguished Gustavs equipped as long-range fighters, recon fighters, and bomber destroyers. The Luftwaffe armed them with ever larger, more numerous weapons: extra 20mm or 30mm cannon in under-wing pods, 21 cm Dodel rocket launchers, and a short-barreled MK-108 30mm cannon that fired a low-velocity, but devastating, mine shell. In the details of the Gustav variants, we can see the resource limitations of the Reich in 1944. The Bf 109G-2 differed from the G-1 only in its unpressurized cockpit. Tellingly, many more of them than the G-1 were built. Other modification kits substituted wood in the tail assembly for scarce aluminum.

Such an array of pods, scoops, and bulges disfigured the Gustav that it also earned the nickname “Beule,” or “Bump.” Even the awkward efforts to cram oversize rockets and cannon into the small fighter, rather than developing an appropriate airframe for such big weapons, betrayed the desperation of German aviation late in the war. The Bf 109G-6, the most numerous of the Gustavs, was the first to mount large caliber (13mm) machine guns, comparable to the 50 caliber Brownings found in most U.S. fighters. It also carried an engine-mounted 20mm cannon. Throughout the development of the Bf 109, Messerschmitt, unlike American designers, retained guns in the fuselage that fired through the propeller arc and were necessarily synchronized. U.S. fighter planes typically had guns in their wings, thus avoiding the extra hassle of synchronization gear. Like the G-2 and G-1, the G-6 and G-5 were nearly identical, except that the G-6 and G-2 omitted cockpit pressurization, and were built in larger numbers than their pressurized counterparts.

As further adaptations to the “G” version proliferated, the Bf 109G-10 was an attempt to standardize Gustav production and also introduce the latest DB 605D engine, a powerhouse that permitted a top speed of 429 MPH at altitude. Bf 109K – Konrad Based on the G-10, the Bf 109K was another attempt to bring some order to the chaos of variants, sub-variants, and modification kits which was disrupting supply and maintenance. The Konrad wielded the same weapons as its forerunner, two 13mm machine guns and a 20mm cannon, and only offered some minor changes to the canopy, tail wheel, tail plane, cowling, and spinner. The first production models, the K-2 and K-4 (a pressurized version), arrived in October 1944. The K-6, a bomber destroyer, carried three 30mm cannon and two 13mm machine guns, a remarkably heavy armament. By this time the Reich was near collapse and very few K-6s or later Konrads were built.

Experimental Bf 109s In its long life, the Bf 109 served as a platform for numerous experimental and radical ideas, from skis to a twin fuselage to the bizarre “Mistel” arrangement. A carrier version, the Bf 109T, actually reached production, 40 being built. After the cancellation of the German carriers, Peter Strasser and Graf Zeppelin, the Bf 109T’s were assigned to Norway and Heligoland, where their short take-off capabilities were useful. The Bf 109H was a high altitude fighter based on the Friedrich, adding a pressurized cockpit, extended wings, and a modified engine. The “H” did not progress beyond the prototype stage. A jet version, the Bf 109TL, was considered, as was a twin fuselage design, the Bf 109Z. The “Mistel” scheme mated a Bf 109 to a worn-out, pilotless Ju 88, which was packed with explosives. The Messerschmitt pilot flew the joined aircraft to the target and released the Ju 88, a primitive cruise missile.

The Germans actually used this scheme in combat, against Scapa Flow and some Leningrad bridges. * * * * * * * * * By war’s end, only a few hundred Bf 109 G’s and K’s were left to face the massive Allied air fleets. Over 34,000 of Willy Messerschmitt’s fighter had been built and consumed in furtherance of Hitler’s destructive ambitions. Sources: Messerschmitt Bf 109 by Robert Grinsell, Rikyu Watanabe (Illustrator) - an oversize hardback. While only 48 numbered pages, it includes many color profiles, B&W period photos, and diagrams. The text covers all the major and minor variants and sub variants. It's large color illustrations are its main attraction, especially the multi-page foldouts (really big!). The Messerschmitt BF 109 by Greg Goebel, an excellent web article, more detailed than mine. He too relied on Grinsell's book. The First and the Last by Adolph Galland.

This book is a history of the air war over Europe from the German perspective, with a fair amount devoted to aircraft development, internal Luftwaffe problems, and such events as the Channel Dash. Even the Russian campaign and the American bombing strategy are surveyed. Relatively little on Galland's personal activities, dogfights, etc. Messerschmitt Me-109 | Aircraft | ME-109 Messerschmitt WWII Fighter The legendary story of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 began in 933 when the German Air Ministry announced a competition for a new fighter. Very reluctantly they allowed Willy Messerschmitt to take part. They thought his entry would come last, The prototype Bf 109 flew in late May 1935, powered by a British Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine because the jumo 20 was not ready. Having seen it, the officials almost laughed. The rakish small-wing monoplane looked more like a racer, Luftwaffe procurement chief Ernst Udet proclaimed: 'That thing will never make a fighter! That was before he flew it.

Subsequently the 109 so turned the tables on its detractors that by the start of World War II was the standard single-seat fighter of the Luftwaffe. It swept opposition from the sky all over Europe, was built in larger numbers than any other single type of fighter, and shot down approximately twice as many aircraft as any other aircraft in history. The Bf 109 cut its fighting teeth several years previously, during the Spanish Civil War, The He 51 biplanes of the German Kondor Legion were being severely mauled by the faster and much more deadly Polikarpov I- 6s supplied to the Republicans by the Soviet Union. However, when in 1937 the Kondor Legion was re-equipped with some of the first production Bf 109s, the tables were turned with a vengeance. Only a handful of Bf 109s saw service in Spain, but they were so superior to anything then in the sky that their effect was tremendous. Meantime, back in Germany, a totally unrelated Messerschmitt racer, with a specially boosted engine, set a world speed record which stood unchallenged for 30 years.

The Nazi propaganda machine called the racer the 'Messerschmitt 109R' to give the impression that it was a version of the fighter. Following the Spanish conflict, the next serious test for the Bf 109 came when 200 of them formed the spearhead of Germany's attack on Poland on 1 September 1939. The Poles had around 160 fighters, mostly their own PZL P. 11c gull-winged monoplanes, and something like the same number of modern bombers. When the smoke cleared, Germany had lost fewer than 80 fighters, while Poland's casualties totaled some 350 aircraft, although around 120 of these (both fighters and bombers) had been interned in neutral Rumania. So Messerschmitt's new fighter was flying high, but a little under one year later, when the Battle of Britain began in earnest in August 1940, the hitherto victorious Bf 109 finally met with some real opposition.

One of its problems was that it had an operational endurance over southern England of only 20 to 30 minutes, and the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the Royal Air Force proved to be formidable adversaries. On the day planned for the Luftwaffe's major assault in the Battle of Britain, code-named Adlertag (Eagle Day), 30 Messerschmitt Bf 109Es, headed by Major Gunther von Maltzahn, took off from Dinan and set a course for the sky high over Dorset, One of the pilots in the second wave of fighters, Leutnant Heinz Pfannschmidt, very quickly found himself in the worst kind of trouble. The Spitfires of 609 Squadron had scrambled from Warmwell to intercept the raiders and were already airborne and waiting. Pfannschmidt was caught in the gun sight of a Spitfire flown by Pilot Officer 0. M. Crook, and a two-second burst from eight 0.303in Browning machine guns sent the German machine spiraling crazily down to crash in the waters of Poole harbor.

This was the first recorded shooting-down on Adlertag of a Bf 109: but it proved, as the Battle of Britain progressed, to be the first of hundreds. The Luftwaffe was forced to accept the simple truth that the Bf 109 was not at all suitable as a bomber escort. Its range was far too limited. So its role was switched to that of defensive fighter and fighter-bomber. With the introduction of the improved Bf 109G, the type took on a whole new lease of life, It was in a Bf 109G- 14 that Major Erich Hartmann scored most of his unrivalled total of 352 confirmed 'kills', and Bf l09 Gs and Ks remained largely unchanged right to the end of hostilities in May 945. From the start of development, the 109 excelled in most flight maneuvers, its climb and dive capability was unrivalled and general handling at low speeds exceptional. Spinning trials showed behavior better than any existing German biplane fighter, and even the much criticized narrow landing gear was a deliberate design feature with many advantages.

At high speeds the control forces increased dramatically, until at speeds near 644km/h in a dive, the rate of roll was almost zero, unless the pilot was very strong. Oddly, trivial deficiencies such as the lack of a rudder trimmer - which made flight very tiring when trying to fly straight at high speed - lasted almost to the end of production in 1944. Many experts on the 109 considered the 1941 version, the Me-109F, the nicest to fly. Many stuck to it in preference to the more powerful, heavier and much more heavily armed Gustav, the 109G. which was far more numerous than all the other versions added together. A little-known fact about the Bf 109 is that in 1939 the German High Command, worried by Britain's naval superiority, ordered a sea-borne version of the fighter for operation from the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin.

The main structural difference, apart from the fitting of an arrester hook and catapult spools, was an increase in wing span of 08cm, folding down for hangar storage to an overall width of 4.95m, This naval version was designated the Bf 109T. Though it was on the losing side, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was probably the most important fighter of World War II, Not only did it shoot down far more aircraft than any other type in history, but it also, initially backed up by no other fighter except the big twin-engine Bf110, took on the air forces of Spain, Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia and Greece and eliminated them as fighting forces. It is calculated that some 30,500 were produced, and this figure does not include those which were built in Czechoslovakia for service with the' Czech Air Force and Israel, or those built by Hispano in Spain. Many of these Spanish post-war productions, known as Ha-1109s and Ha-1112s.

were still on active service as late as the mid-1950s, and one curious aspect of this longevity is that the wheel had turned full circle. The final Iberian version, the Ha-1112 was powered, as was the original prototype, by a British Rolls-Royce engine, in this instance a Merlin. These in fact acted the part of Daimler-Benz powered Bf 109Es in the film Battle of Britain. At the outbreak of World War 2 the Luftwaffe had a strength of 1,056 BE 109s. Many of these were Bf l09Ds, but this series was already being replaced in increasing numbers by the BE 109E. This had first appeared (as the V14) in mid-1938, and the E-l was produced both as a fighter (with four MG 17s) and as a fighter-bomber (carrying one 550lbs or four 110lbs bombs). Later E-1's standardized on 20mm MG FF cannon in place of the two wing-mounted MG 17s.

Against all types of opposing fighter throughout Poland, Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, Holland and southern England, with the exception of the Spitfire (which it greatly outnumbered), the Bf 109E proved itself superior in both performance and maneuverability; only its range let it down. Production accelerated to the extent that Germany could afford to export substantial numbers of the Bf 109E-3 (which appeared at the end of 1939 and was the principal version to be used in the Battle of Britain) to Bulgaria, Hungary, Japan, Romania, Slovalda, Switzerland, the USSR and Yugoslavia. In addition, a small batch was built during 1941-43 by Dornier's Altenrhein factory in Switzerland. In July 1940 the Gerhard Fieseler-Werke began to convert 10 Bf 109E-1s to Bf 109F (for Tratger: carrier) extended-span configuration.

These were to have been development aircraft for the Bf 109 l,intended for use aboard the proposed aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, but after the carrier program was terminated the 60 T-1's ordered were completed instead as land-based T-2s. Various other E models, up to E-9, were produced for fighter and/or reconnaissance duties, with powerplant or equipment variations. Meanwhile, Messerschmitt had been developing what was to become the finest of all the many versions, the Bf 109F. Powered by either a 1,200hp DB 601N or a l,350 hp DB 601E engine, the Bf 109F represented a considerable advance over earlier series in terms of both performance and cleanliness of line, and at last gave the Luftwaffe a fighter that could outmaneuver the Spitfire V. The entire fuselage was cleaner aerodynamically, culminating in a more rounded rudder, an unbraced tailplane and a retractable tail wheel: the wings, of slightly increased span, were rounded off at the tips; and performance at all altitudes was better than that of earlier models.

Production series ran from F-1 to F-6, with various sub-types. Several F-series aircraft were used as testbed's, the items evaluated including BMW 801 (radial) and Jumo 213 engines, a V-type tail unit, rocket weapons, and a nose wheel landing gear. A prototype never flown, but none the less of interest, was the Bf 109s of 1943, in which two Bf 109Fs were twinned' by connecting them by a new, common wing center-section and tailplane, the sole pilot being intended to occupy a cockpit in the port fuselage. By 1942 the Bf 109F had been supplanted in production and service by the most numerous version, the Bf 109G. Heavier and less maneuverable than the F's, with DB 605 engines and additional equipment, the 'Gustav's' were individually less successful.

An exact total for production of all variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 is virtually impossible to determine, but it was approximately equal to the combined output of its great wartime opponents, the Hurricane and Spitfire, and thereby one of the most extensively produced aircraft of all time. Its final version, the Bf 109, was alone built in numbers comparable to those of the Hurricane. Moreover the bf 109, unlike its British contemporaries, remained basically a tighter or fighter-bomber all its operational life, apart from a few unprofitable excursions into other potential roles. First operational experience was gained in 1937 with Jagdgruppe 8S of the Condor Legion in Spain, and in the same year the Bf109B entered service at home with the celebrated Richthofen' Geschwader. The Bf 105E series, which began to reach Luftwaffe fighter units at the beginning of 1939, formed the substantive service version right through the Battle of Britain.

Superior in speed to the Hurricane at all altitudes, and faster in both climb and dive, the Bf 105E could, moreover, approximately match the Spitfire I in these areas, though it could be out-turned by both British fighters. But its very short tactical radius, leaving it fuel for only about 20 minutes combat once arriving over southern England, put it at a considerable disadvantage, and in the tour months July-October 1940 the number of bf 109s lost or damaged - not all due to combat - reached some 877. Best of all variants was the Bf 109F, which was the first version able to out-climb the Spitfire V. In the late summer of 1942, it was supplanted by the Bf 109G; but this version, despite its more powerful engine, was so much heavier that its performance was in fact poorer than the F. Post-war production of the Messerschmitt 109 took place in Czechoslovakia and Spain, and the type continued in service for some years after the end of hostilities in Europe. Model makes up nicely as John shows us.

There are 5 versions in the Me-109 folder along with a B-W version.. I have attached images (above) of my Me-109 with a few custom extras added including the following *Balsa wood carved Fuel Drop tank located under the wheels. *3 way hand crafted blades located on the front produced to original design/spec *Control cable added to the top of the fuselage *2+ 30mm cannons made from cocktail sticks added to wings. P.s im currently working on my second model as that me 109 was a beginner practice but i am currently working on the F84 Thunder Streak and i am adding in several added features to this one including LED lighting throughout and a fully visible cockpit and a payload of weapons plus a fully detailed engine that fits into the plane. From Richard Whittingham :) Messerschmitt Bf 109 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Messerschmitt Bf 109 (8/17/2014) source : The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s.

It was one of the first modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Bf 109 was produced in greater quantities than any other fighter aircraft in history, with a wartime production (September 1939 to May 1945) of 30,573 units. The Bf 109 was the primary aircraft in service of the Luftwaffe fighter forces during the Second World War, although it began to be partially replaced by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 from 1941. The Bf 109 scored more aircraft kills in World War II than any other aircraft. At various times it served as an air superiority fighter, a bomber escort, an interceptor, a ground-attack aircraft, and a reconnaissance aircraft. Although the Bf 109 had weaknesses, including a short range, and especially a sometimes difficult to handle narrow, outward-retracting undercarriage, it stayed competitive with Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war.

Bf 109 was the official designation, since the design was submitted by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke company. The company was renamed Messerschmitt AG after July 1938 when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company. Messerschmitt Bf 109 Combat History The first Bf 109As saw service in the Spanish Civil War. By September 1939, the Bf 109 had become the main fighter of the Luftwaffe, replacing the biplane fighters, and was instrumental in gaining air superiority for the Wehrmacht during the Blitzkrieg. During the Battle of Britain, it was pressed into the role of escort fighter, a role for which it was not originally designed, and it was widely employed as a fighter-bomber as well as a photo-reconnaissance platform. Despite mixed results over Britain, with the introduction of the improved Bf 109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the Invasion of Yugoslavia, the Battle of Crete, Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR and the Siege of Malta.

In 1942, it began to be partially replaced in Western Europe by a new German fighter, the Focke Wulf Fw 190, but it continued to serve in a multitude of roles on the Eastern Front and in the Defense of the Reich, as well as in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and with Erwin Rommel's Afrikakorps. It was also supplied to several of Germany's allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. More aerial kills were made with the Bf 109 than any other aircraft of World War II. Many of the aerial victories were accomplished against poorly trained and badly organized Soviet forces in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. The Soviets lost 21,200 aircraft at this time, about half to combat. If shot down, the Luftwaffe pilots might land or parachute to friendly territory and return to fight again. Later in the War, when Allied victories began to bring the fight closer, and then to German territory, bombing raids supplied plenty of targets for the Luftwaffe. This unique combination of events led to the highest-ever individual pilot victory scores.

One hundred and five Bf 109 pilots were each credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen of these men scored more than 200 kills, while two scored more than 300. Altogether, this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills. Though there was no official "ace" status in the Luftwaffe (unofficially, the term Experte (expert) was used for an experienced pilot irrespective of his number of kills), using the Allied definition of pilots who scored five or more kills, there were more than 2,500 Luftwaffe fighter aces in World War II. Against the Soviets, Finnish-flown Bf 109Gs claimed a victory ratio of 25:1. Bf 109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf 109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf 109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf 109s until 1955.

The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. They appeared in films (notably Battle of Britain) playing the role of Bf 109Es. Some Hispano airframes were sold to museums, which rebuilt them as Bf 109s.

Length: 8.95 m (29 ft 7 in) Wingspan: 9.925 m (32 ft 6 in) Height: 2.60 m (8 ft 2 in) Wing area: 16.40 m (173.3 ft) Empty weight: 2,247 kg (5,893 lb) Loaded weight: 3148 kg (6,940 lb) Max takeoff weight: 3,400 kg (7,495 lb) Powerplant: 1 x Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 liquid-cooled inverted V12, 1,475 PS (1,455 hp, 1,085 kW) Performance Maximum speed: 640 km/h (398 mph) at 6,300 m (20,669 ft) Cruise speed: 590 km/h (365 mph) at 6,000 m (19,680 ft) Range: 850 km (528 mi) with droptank 1,

000 km (620 mi) Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,370 ft) Rate of climb: 17.0 m/s (3,345 ft/min) Wing loading: 199.8 kg/m (40.9 lb/ft) Power/mass: 330 W/kg (0.21 hp/lb) Armament 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg 1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon (or 1x 30 mm MK 108, G-6/U4) 1 x 300 l (78 US gal) drop tank or 1 x 250 kg (550 lb) bomb or 4 x 50 kg (110 lb) bombs 2 x WGr.21 rockets (G-6 with BR21) 2 x 20 mm MG 151/20 underwing cannon pods with 200 rpg (G-6 with R6) Messerschmitt Bf 10

9G-10 > National Museum of the US Air Force™ > Display PRINT | E-MAIL The Messerschmitt Bf 109 began as an entry by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) fighter competition in the early 1930s.

Willy Messerschmitt's creation incorporated one of the most advanced aerodynamic designs at the time, with retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit, automatic slats, cantilever wings and stressed skin construction. During the trials, the Bf 109 clearly outperformed the larger and heavier favorite, Heinkel's He 112. The first production model, the Bf 109B, began coming off the lines in 1936. The redesignation of the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (Aktiengesellschaft or Corporation) to the Messerschmitt AG in 1938 led many to call it the Me 109, although the official Luftwaffe designation of the aircraft remained the Bf 109 throughout the war. Development and Service The Bf 109B first entered combat with German-manned Condor Legion units during the Spanish Civil War, and they were a welcome replacement for the obsolete Heinkel He 51 biplane fighter.

The Bf 109C, introduced in 1938, retained the twin 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns mounted above the engine but replaced the single MG 17 firing through the propeller spinner with two MG 17s in the wings. After less than 200 Bf 109Ds were built, the Bf 109E entered production with the Daimler Benz DB 601 in early 1939. Early in World War II, the Bf 109E completely dominated the Polish PZL fighters. In the invasion of France in May 1940, the Bf 109E outfought French Morane-Saulnier MS 406s and British Hawker Hurricanes. In the air battles over the English Channel and later during the Battle of Britain, the Bf 109E not only exposed its Achilles heel -- its short range -- but also met its equal, the Supermarine Spitfire.

The short range of the Bf 109E prevented it from escorting Luftwaffe bombers past London, leaving the greater part of the British Isles free from enemy attack on training and production sites. This problem was a significant contribution to the Luftwaffe's defeat in the Battle of Britain. The Bf 109F began to replace the E series in late 1940. Intended to counter the Spitfire, the F series had an engine with increased horsepower and a more streamlined airframe and cooling system. More than half of the Luftwaffe single-engine fighter units involved in the invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, flew the Bf 109F. The F model also enjoyed considerable superiority over the RAF Kittyhawks (P-40s) and Hurricanes it met over the skies of North Africa. The limits of the Bf 109 design appeared with the Bf 109G series, which began production in early 1942. The Bf 109G had a higher top speed but was less maneuverable than earlier versions.

Some later Gs had bulges in front of the cockpit caused by the larger 13mm MG 131 machine guns, which added further weight and drag. Pilots of the Bf 109G found it increasingly difficult to fly against more capable aircraft such as the P-51D Mustang. Despite its limitations, the G series was the most numerous of the Bf 109 types and remained in production into 1945. The last major series was the Bf 109K, which was similar to the Bf 109G-10 series. Development problems aggravated by Allied bombing and the rapidly deteriorating war situation limited production of this type to less than 2,000. During WWII, the Bf 109 was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force, serving on all fronts and also in the air forces of its European allies.

Even though the superior Fw 190 began to replace the Bf 109 in some units as early as the summer of 1941, production of the Bf 109 actually rose until the closing months of the war and it remained the most numerous Luftwaffe fighter. By war's end, Germany had built more than 30,000 Bf 109s. Production of the Bf 109 continued on after the war in Czechoslovakia until 1949 and in Spain until 1958. It remains to this day the most produced fighter in history. G-10 Series The Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 series was unusual in that it consisted of new and remanufactured airframes of earlier model Gs equipped with the more powerful Daimler Benz DB 605D series engine. As a result, there was little standardization beyond the common use of the Erla-Haube (or "Galland Hood") improved vision canopy. Even so, the G-10 proved to be the fastest G model.

The museum's Bf 109G-10 is painted to represent an aircraft from Jagdgeschwader 300, a unit that defended Germany against Allied bombers. JG 300 was originally formed as a Wilde Sau (or Wild Boar) night fighter unit in 1943 but converted to the day fighter role as U.S. bomber attacks intensified. In the many pitched battles with the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Bf 109G-10s of JG 300 often provided top cover for the more heavily armed Focke Wulf Fw 190s attacking the bomber formations. This unit also had the distinction of being the last command of the war for Maj. Gunther Rall, who with 275 victories, was the third-highest scoring ace in history. American Bf 109s The center for USAAF foreign aircraft testing in WWII was based at Wright Field, Ohio. Throughout the war, numerous enemy aircraft were brought there to face a rigid examination, including test flights.

Test aircraft were given an designation number prefixed by: EB (for Evaluation Branch), FE (Foreign Intelligence) or T2 (for the T-2 Office of Air Force Intelligence). TECHNICAL NOTES: Armament: One 30mm MK 108 cannon and two 13mm MG 131 machine guns Engine: One Daimler-Benz DB 605D inverted V rated at 1,850 hp for take-off Maximum speed: 426 mph at 24,280 ft. Range: 373 miles Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf-109, Messerschmitt (Me 109) The Bf109 was the Luftwaffe's standard fighter throughout WWII, and the production of the Bf 109 was larger than that of any other fighter. It was a quite revolutionary design, the smallest aircraft that could be built around a powerful engine. Advantages were good performance and handling, and a simple construction; disadvantages were restricted vision, bad landing characteristics, and the inability to carry heavy armament without adverse affects on handling.

The E was one of the best fighters in the world, on a par with the Spitfire ; the F was a fine fighter with limited armament; the G suffered from detoriated handling. The K was the last series-produced model. Some extreme developments, elongated, with longer wings and Jumo engines, never reached service. Projects to replace the 109 all failed. Approx 35000 built. Czechoslovakaia and Spain continued production of developments after WWII. Messerschmitt Bf-109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. It was the first true modern fighter of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear. The Bf 109 was the standard fighter of the Luftwaffe during much of World War Two, although it began to be partially replaced by the Focke-Wulf Fw-190 from 1942.

The Bf 109 scored more aircraft kills in World War Two than any other Axis aircraft, and at various times served as an air superiority fighter, an escort fighter, an interceptor, a ground-attack aircraft and a reconnaissance aircraft. The Bf 109 was also produced in greater quantities than any other Axis aircraft of the war and is the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with over 31,000 units built. Although the Bf 109 had some weaknesses, including a short range and troublesome landing gear, it stayed competitive with Allied fighter aircraft until the end of the war. Designation Bf 109 was the official Reichsluftfahrtministerium (the German Air Ministry) designation, since the design was sent in by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke company. Because the company was renamed to Messerschmitt, some late-war aircraft actually carried the Me 109 designation stamped onto their aircraft type plates. Me 109 was the name used officially by the Luftwaffe propaganda publications as well as by the Messerschmitt company and the Luftwaffe personnel, who pronounced it 'may hundred-nine'.

ME 109 (pronounced 'emm ee one-oh-nine') was the contemporary English interpretation of the designation. However, in both wartime and contemporary literature, both the "Bf" and "Me" prefixes are used, and both are considered valid and accurate. Design Features Messerschmitt had already designed much of the Bf 109 by this point. Like the Bf 108, the new design was based on Messerschmitt's "lightweight construction", which essentially aimed to reduce the total number of strong parts in the aircraft as much as possible. One of the more notable examples of this was the mounting of all structural points to a strong firewall at the front of the cockpit, including the wing spars, engine mounts and landing gear. In more conventional designs these would be mounted to different points on the aircraft, with a framework distributing the load among them. Another notable advantage of this design was that, since the landing gear was attached to the fuselage itself, it was possible to completely remove the wings of the aircraft for major servicing, if necessary, leaving the fuselage intact sitting on the landing gear.

However, this had one major drawback - such a landing gear arrangement ensured a very narrow track (the distance between the main tyres) which thus made the plane very unstable in terms of balance while on the ground. In fact, the Bf 109 was notoriously difficult to take off and land, and many planes simply veered off or tipped over to one side during a seemingly perfect run. To make things worse, the landing gear struts were comparatively long. This left the nose pointing up at quite a steep angle with respect to the ground, making forward visibility during taxiing virtually zero. These landing gear-related problems plagued the Bf 109 throughout its life, and accounted for a notable proportion of losses. Another aspect of this construction technique was the use of a single box-spar in the wing, mounted near the leading edge. Most planes of the era used two spars, near the front and rear, but the box was much stiffer torsionally, and eliminated the need for the rear spar. Another major difference was the much higher wing loading than the other designs.

While the R-IV contract called for a wing loading of less than 100 kg/m², Messerschmitt felt that this was unreasonable; with the engines available to them, the fighter would end up slower than the bombers it was tasked with catching. A wing generates two forms of drag, parasitic drag due to its form, and induced drag which is a side effect of generating lift. The former dominates at high speeds, when the airflow hitting the wing causes drag that rises with the square of the aircraft's speed. The latter dominates at lower speeds, where the lack of airflow requires the wing to be angled into the airflow at a higher angle of attack. Since the fighter was being designed primarily for high speed flight, a smaller wing would be optimized for high speed use. The downside of such a trade-off is that low speed flight would suffer, the smaller wing would require more airflow to generate enough lift to stay flying. In order to address this, the Bf 109 included advanced high-lift devices on the wings, including automatically opening slats on the leading edge, and fairly large camber-changing flaps on the trailing edge.

When deployed, these devices effectively increase the size of the wing, making it better at low speeds and high angles of attack. Another drawback of the high wing-loading is that the plane would require more energy to maneuver. Given the limited amount of power available, this effectively meant that the Bf 109 would not be able to turn as tightly as other designs with larger wings. The high lift devices would offset this to some degree, but they also increased drag and so slowed the plane further. Given that maneuverability was last on the RLM's wish-list, Messerschmitt was certain the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Type: Bf 109C-1

Question: Who designed the Luftwaffe’s Bf-109 fighter plane?
Answer: Willy Messerschmitt